VERAXA Biotech AG (NASDAQ: VRXA) announced the appointment of Christoph Erkel, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer, effective immediately. Erkel, previously vice president of research and development, will lead advancement of the company's proprietary BiTAC(R) platform technologies for the development of cancer therapies targeting solid tumors. He succeeds Rick Austin, Ph.D., who will depart following a transition period.
Erkel brings two decades of experience in antibody therapeutics, antibody engineering and preclinical development, including prior leadership roles at MorphoSys AG, where he led immuno-oncology programs focused on T-cell engagers. VERAXA said his experience managing multidisciplinary research programs will support efforts to expand the company's oncology pipeline and advance BiTAC(R) candidates toward clinical development.
The appointment comes as VERAXA focuses on its BiTAC platform, a bispecific T-cell engager technology designed to target solid tumors. The company is building a pipeline of next-generation antibody-based therapeutics, including bispecific T cell engagers, bispecific ADCs and other innovative formats. According to the company, these are powered by transformative technologies and guided by rigorous quality-by-design principles.
VERAXA was founded on scientific breakthroughs made at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), a world-renowned institution known for pioneering life science research and cutting-edge technology. The company's BiTAC(R) is a registered trademark of VERAXA Biotech GmbH.
For more information, visit the company's newsroom at http://nnw.fm/VRXA.
